Overview

Want the best of both worlds? Canterbury goes one better. With a city that’s chock-full of history and culture, the coast a mere 7 miles away, Kent AONB to the south and acre upon acre of ancient woodland to explore nearby, this place has it all. Our stunning Victorian villa is newly refurbished and perfectly located to explore the Cathedral City of Canterbury and its surroundings, with train links of just one hour to London and 30 mins from the ferry ports.

This great value accommodation is a handy stopover for long journeys or as a base to explore the wealth of attractions the Garden of England has to offer. With a UNESCO World Heritage Site on our doorstep, historic buildings, museums, Medieval adventures, fun city tours by boat or foot, beautiful gardens and fantastic shopping and nightlife with a friendly cosmopolitan vibe, Canterbury has plenty to keep you entertained. You can even stay in one of our enchanting wooden cabins outside, named after characters from Lord of the Rings - Orlando Bloom is from Canterbury after all!

Accommodation

The Hostel

We have 15 rooms with 74 beds over four floors with an open-plan staircase. Room sizes are mainly four-bed (x6) and six-bed (x8) with one two-bed. There are seven en-suite rooms available. The dining room seats 32 in one sitting and we have an adjacent self-catering kitchen with an additional 10 seats. We do not have meeting rooms or classrooms but the dining room and lounge can be used outside of mealtimes. We can generally work the rooms to fit most group breakdowns or family requirements, and whilst our building is not wheelchair accessible, we are happy to discuss accessibility and will always try to make things a little easier – speak to our friendly team ahead of booking and we will help work it out! We also have cots and highchairs available to hire.

Cabins

Feel cosy as can be inside a rustic six-sided Large Cabin Deluxe! These timber camping cabins are fully insulated and have two double glazed leaded windows – four or five people can sleep comfortably in the bunks and use it as a living/seating area during the day - the walls of the cabin slope outwards for a more spacious feeling. The cabins have one double bed with a single over the top and an additional set of bunk beds and a kitchenette area with a fridge, microwave, sink, kettle and crockery. All bedding is provided so you don't need to lug your sleeping bag around and there's even an en-suite bathroom for your convenience.

Click on the Book Now button to book your stay.

Please note that there are no camping spaces available for tents at YHA Canterbury, you will need to book a cabin.

Hire the Whole Place

This hostel is occasionally made available for hire on an exclusive basis. This means that you can have the place to yourself and choose how many of your friends, family, club mates, etc., join you. We allocate availability for exclusive use in blocks, typically up to 90 days in the future. If you are looking for space to stay with us on a normal shared basis, and can’t see any availability three months or more into the future, then this hostel may be being held for Exclusive Hire. You can check availability for Exclusive Hire on our dedicated website, or use our live chat service for more information.

Housed in the specially converted medieval poor priests hospital, this museum displays collections that link the story of Canterbury from Roman times to the Present – including features on Thomas Beckett and Pilgrimage.

The origins of Dover Castle lie in the Iron Age, and a Roman Lighthouse and Anglo-Saxon church can still be seen. The tunnels take you deep into the White Cliffs to explore the nerve centre of the Dunkirk evacuation.

Activities

Walking & Rambling

If you’d like to escape to open space, the traditional seaside town of Herne Bay is a 30-minute drive away. Stretch your legs along its 2-mile seafront. Alternatively, jump in the saddle and cycle around the Blean Woods National Nature Reserve. The Blean covers 11 square miles and is famed as one of the most distinctive areas of ancient woodland in the country.

Conveniently located at the start of the North Downs way, YHA Canterbury is a great base to start the 156 mile footpath through the North Downs to Dover. Crab and Winkle Way was the first ever scheduled passenger railway line in the world and can now be used as a fantastic walking route to the thriving arts town of Whitstable.

Cycling

With one of the longest dramatic and varied coastlines in the country, Kent has five of the best cycle routes - passing castles, ancient churches, historic houses and many splendid and celebrated gardens. Within easy reach from London it is also a great destination for a short day-trip cycling. Hire a bike or bring your own to travel along the Crab & Winkle Way which connects Canterbury to the beautifully quaint seaside town of Whitstable with its art galleries and fantastic seafood.

We are also easy to reach from mainland Europe with excellent cross channel connections and easy access to Europe's high speed rail network. At YHA Canterbury we are centrally located in Kent on Route 1 of the National Cycle Network (on road) with a secure lit cycle shed, outside bike lock (day) area, plenty of local information and we're 10mins walk from a cycle repair and hire shop. We have meals available every night and full English breakfasts (packed if you are setting off early) and packed lunches available for the day ahead.

Reviews

Food & Drink

Breakfast

A hot full English breakfast and cold continental buffet is served daily from 7.30 - 9.30am in the week. On weekends, guests can request a late breakfast up until 11am. Please let us know upon check-in if you wish to do this. Breakfast is now available at 10% off - ONLY WHEN PRE-BOOKED. Simply add it to your basket at check out to save!

Lunch

We can provide a packed lunch including a freshly prepared sandwich, a delicious cake, cereal bar, a bottle of mineral water, a packet of crisps and a piece of fresh fruit. Eat in the hostel or take your packed lunch with you to enjoy during your day of exploring. Please book in advance.

Restaurant

The delicious Metro menu is served daily between 5.30pm - 8.30pm. Please order before 8pm.

Self-Catering Facilities

In our well equipped self-catering kitchen, we have three ovens with hobs and extractor fans, three fridges - one tall and two smaller ones with freezer compartments - and three sinks. We provide washing up liquid, tea towels, cloths, chopping boards and cutlery. If you should find yourself short of anything, just ask one of our friendly staff members who are able to lend equipment from the hostel kitchen.

Please note: drinks are only available in the morning or the evenings from 7.30-10am and from 3pm onwards, when reception is open.

1. Choose Dates & Guests

Admissions Policy:
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 or over).
Children under 11 are welcome at YHA but can only stay in private or family rooms or in our camping and cabins products.
Children aged between 11 and 16 can stay in dorm rooms as long as they are accompanied by an adult of the same gender.

We are no longer taking bookings for customers wishing to arrive today. Please select alternative dates or location.

Availability Calendar

Can't find a bed on your preferred date? Try choosing a different room type from the selection box above. Alternatively please call us on 0800 0191 700
or +44 (0) 1629 592 700.
Members of YHA or Hostelling International are entitled to a discount of up to £3/night off the prices quoted above for bookings at YHA operated properties. Member discounts are redeemable at the checkout stage of your online booking. Family room prices are only available if your booking contains at least one adult and one child under 18.

Virtual Tour

YHA Exclusive Hire

Make YHA Canterbury your home over Christmas and New Year by booking the whole place for yourself! Visit our YHA Exclusive Hire website for more details and make this holiday season a memorable one.

YHA School Trips

Located close to the town centre, YHA Canterbury provides a great base from which your school group can explore this beautiful Roman city. Facilities include Internet access and group catering - perfect for a school trip! Visit the YHA School Trips website to book your stay.

Volunteering

We are very grateful for all of the help and support that our generous volunteers give to YHA. We are proud of our “Investors in Volunteering” accreditation and have a wide range of opportunities available across the country, all of which will provide great learning or social experiences and help us to create even more opportunities for young people.

Volunteering is a great way to meet people, visit new places, gain experiences and have fun. Full details of all of our various volunteering programmes can be found on the Volunteering website.

At YHA Canterbury we offer the following volunteering opportunities subject to availability:

History

Ellerslie was built in 1875 and forms part of Canterbury's rich heritage of Victorian gothic style buildings. Formerly a private residence to various wealthy prominent figures, many interesting relics from previous occupants are listed in the census, and there are some fantastic pictures of the maids servicing the property at that time. YHA Canterbury boasts the longest-standing presence of a city YHA since our organisation was founded in 1930, occupying three other properties prior to the acquisition of our current home in 1962. It underwent a small refurbishment in the 1980s to improve the catering facilities and at that time squeezed over 100 beds into the rooms. Ellerslie then received the best 50th birthday present from YHA – a £600K makeover to reduce the dormitory sizes and increase the number of ensuite rooms. The work to the house has been sympathetically carried out, being mindful of the heritage, fantastic original staircase, ornate coving and woodwork. The refurbishment of this house is a great reflection on our reinvestment programme and will enable us to continue to welcome over 17,000 guests each year to this fine city.

Meet the Team

YHA Canterbury Manager Niki: "Hello! I am Niki Reynolds and I have been privileged enough to manage YHA Canterbury (otherwise known as Ellerslie) for 12 years and raise my two young children in this fantastic city. I first worked here with my husband Andy Reynolds – who later went on to open London's flagship YHA London Central and then became London’s area manager. I have enjoyed seeing YHA evolve from the days of paper diaries and daily lock-outs to the professional organisation we are proud to work in today – our IIP Gold and TT100 accolades are testimony to a happy workplace, with charity and reinvestment at the heart of what we do. I have seen Ellerslie go through many changes too, from the early days of sewing my own patchwork curtains into the bedrooms, to the state-of-the-art facilities and top quality finishes we have today. My Duty Manager - Heather Lawrence is my wing-man, and we have a fantastic new team. We also have a regular cycle of new work placement student volunteers who we fully train as part of their educational programme."

Manager recommends: Try a gentle walk along the City wall to the Castle, through the Westgate gardens and back through town. Visit the Cathedral, followed by a river boat tour, some shopping at Whitefriars and then back to your accommodation for a few drinks in the bar! The perfect weekend city break. Or fill up on a Full English and then embark on a walk around the ancient city wall and on to the top of Dane John Mound to take in the view. Follow up with a picnic in the Dane John Gardens.

Access Statement

At YHA Canterbury we strive to cater for everybody. Unfortunately none of our bedrooms or washrooms is accessible to modern standards.